The Long Road
Title: The Long Road
Chapter(s): 3/???
Author: minishimi
Band(s): GazettE
Genre: AU/Romance/Drama/Humor/Angst
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Heavy language, Implied sexuality
Pairing/Characters: AoixOCxRuki (one-sided), KaixOCxOC (one-sided), UruhaxOC. More might be added later
Disclaimer: They own themselves...that's about it.
Synopsis: GazettE has agreed to do a major collaboration album with a equally popular band, Shibuya. As time progresses, feelings unfold and one falls for the other. Will this project turn out to be a major success? Or will this be the end of both bands and the members?
Comments: Another update! *whee!*
Chapter 3
“I think the fans are gonna get a kick out of this.” Uruha said as he sat back in his chair in the practice room.
“It’s a nice change and plus it will bring even more fans together.” Kai nodded, lightly tapping a few beats on his drums.
“Plus, that Sari-san is cute.” Reita added. Ruki gave him an odd look.
“What the hell does that have to do with our project?”
“It doesn’t have to do with anything. She’s cute, that’s all.”
“I’m seriously wondering how is she able to manage being in a band with only guys.” Aoi said, tuning his guitar. “There are some days where I can’t stand it myself.”
“Well then I guess there’s something you’re not telling us.” Reita smirked and the guitarist punched him in the arm.
“Shut up, asshole.”
“Make me, Yama-chan!”
“Guys! Let’s get back on topic, shall we?” Kai interrupted, annoyed. The two men grunted in response and the drummer shook his head.
“Anyways, I’ve gotten a couple songs down, that I came up with during our tour.” Ruki looked over his papers and showed it to his band mates. “It should be a good start, don’t you think?”
“Yeah. I’m sure they have gotten a couple down as well, but we’ll see next week.” Kai nodded, looking over the papers.
“But how is it going to work out?” Uruha asked.
“What are you talking about? We were just at the meeting last week.” Ruki frowned lightly. “They explained everything.”
“No, no, I mean, if we were to go on a tour? How do you think that will work out?”
The group was quiet for a moment.
“We are going to be meeting up with them in a few days, we’ll find out then.” Kai concluded.
“Alrighty then-” Aoi got up, stretching. “I gotta go to the bathroom for a sec.”
“And what?” Reita began, a small smirk forming on his face. “Powder your nose?” At this, the raven flicked the younger male in the forehead and he received a slap on the leg in return. Within a split second, the two were engaged in a slapping battle.
“GUYS!” Kai yelled at them. When they didn’t listen, he threw his drumsticks at the feuding pair. It took three minutes of Uruha pulling them apart and another two to calm them down. Ruki just sniggered at the insults the bassist and guitarist threw at each other. Kai sighed.
This was going to be a long project.
++++++
One Week Ago…
“I can’t wait to taste your mom’s Nikujaga, man!” [1] Louis patted his belly in the backseat of the car. The twins called and spoke to their parents about their stay in the city and their mother convinced Red to let the band stay over at their place for the rest of the time.
“Yeah? It’s nothing compared to their dad’s massive rice balls!” Charlie grinned. “Man, his balls are so good!”
The twins laughed at the implied innuendo and Red shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose in the front seat. The driver shook his head with a laugh as he turned the corner and drove down a quiet neighborhood in a district not too far from the city. It pulled into the driveway of a moderately sized home with a low bamboo fence and a small but beautiful yard.
The all got out and stepped onto the stone pathway to the door. They were barely five feet away when they heard a booming bark, quickly followed by a smaller bark and a scramble of feet.
“Whoa, hold on there. Let me open the door first.” Came a strong female voice from behind the door. There was a light ‘click!’ of the lock and the door swung inward. Before the group on the doorstep could register what happened, Benjamin was already on the ground with a large, pure white, wolf-like dog on top of him, licking every inch of his laughing face.
“Gah! Good to see you see you too, Yuu.” He tried to get out.
“Chiquita!” Sari squealed as a very small dog ran into her arms and she nuzzled the happy pup. She looked up and smiled at the older version of herself, who was leaning against the doorway with an amused smile adorning her kind, motherly features. “Hey, mom.” She smiled in English. “How did Chiqi end up here?”
The woman gave her daughter a kiss on the cheek. “Your father was in New York for a business trip and he decided to bring her here, just in case you guys made the choice of visiting us here.” She smiled over at the three remaining men that were fortunate enough not to get tackled by the large dog.
“It’s good to see you again, Claire.” Red smiled giving her a hug.
“I see you have been taking good care of these kids.” She responded in clear English. “It’s good seeing you too.”
“Mrs. T!” Charlie said with a goofy grin, opening his arms wide for a hug. “You’re looking more gorgeous by the day.” The laughing woman pulled him into a big hug. “Why, if only you weren’t married…”
There was an immediate growl, coming from the doorway and everyone looked to see a much older, and mature version of Benjamin.
“Hey dad.” Benjamin stood up, finally able to wrestle the dog off from him.
“Hey, Li.” He ruffled his son’s hair, kissed his twin daughter on the forehead, and placed a possessive hold on his wife.
“What’s happening, Mr. T!” Charlie gave a playful grin. “You know I was just kidding.”
Michael gave him a sharp, but playful glare. He greeted the other two males and they all entered the home.
“So, how was your tour in Europe?” Claire asked as they settled in the cozy living room.
“Really fun.” Sari smiled.
“Awesome!” Benjamin and Charlie chimed excitedly.
“Crazy. Can’t wait to go back.” Louis nodded.
“So, what is your business in Tokyo?” Michael asked, sitting beside his wife.
“Well, we’ve started on a collaboration project for the next album.” Red began.
“Already?” Claire was surprised. “I thought you would take a break.”
Her son shook his head while petting Yuu’s head on his lap. “Nah. We wanted to get things started as soon as possible. It’s a lot, I know, but if you really think about it, this project is actually going to take a while.”
“A few months presumably.” Sari nodded.
“Which band have you decided to work with?” Her mother reached for her tea.
“The GazettE.” Charlie responded. Claire and Michael were impressed.
“Really? Then the sound should be very interesting.” Michael said.
“Yeah but you can’t tell anyone.” Louis began. “We need time to prepare and to find the proper time to release the news to the public.”
“Don’t worry, your secret is safe with us.” Claire pretended to lock her lips with an invisible key to emphasize her point. Her daughter giggled.
“Good, now.” Louis Said settling back into his seat. “When are we going to get a bite of that delightful Nikujaga?”
Claire laughed. “It’s hot and ready just for you.”
++++++
A Week Later…
P.S. Company HQ
11:10:00 (11:10 A.M.)
“Dude!” Charlie exclaimed as he walked into the practice room on the third floor. “This place is awesome!”
“You’re acting like an eight-year-old at the amusement park for the first time.” Benjamin rolled his eyes walking in after the blond, carrying two guitar cases.
“I’m just glad Red has decided that we’re “adult” enough to come here by ourselves.” Louis sighed, placing his bag and one of Sari’s cases onto the couch, and taking out his drumsticks.
“Hah! I don’t think so.” Sari placed her other guitar case next to her brother’s. “He’s down stairs talking to their manager right now.”
“What?” Charlie said in annoyed disbelief.
“Son of a bitch.” Louis muttered.
“He could be just be making sure we’ll be alright.” Benjamin reassured.
“Or he thinks we’re like little kids.” Charlie answered bitterly.
“Dude.” Benjamin began with a tone of solid demand. “Don’t you remember before that live, two years back, Louis had a severe asthma attack, and Red wasn’t there to give him his medicine?”
Charlie was immediately silent. “Sorry man.” He said to the drummer. “I forgot.” Louis waved it off nonchalantly.
“No worries man.” His tone was mellow. “It was two years ago. Besides, Matt has my medicine and he’s always nearby.” He gestured towards the general direction of the doorway, indicating the presence of a large bodyguard in the hallway. “And, more than half of the time, I don’t even need it because my control has improved by a lot.” He grinned and Charlie rolled his eyes.
“Alright, alright, you don’t have to rub it in.” The blond put him into a headlock and the two males play wrestled for a minute.
“Ok-ay, I’m good to go.” Sari nodded as she took out her electric guitar and placed the strap onto her shoulder and plugged it into the amplifier. Louis made an immediate beeline for the drums and sat down on the swivel chair.
“Whoa, who ever sat here must be at least a good couple inches shorter than me.” He muttered, adjusting the seat. He tapped a few beats and stopped, clearly impressed. He let a low whistle. “Nice.”
“C’mon, people, let’s warm up.” Benjamin said, plugging his into another amplifier.
++++++
Ruki stepped into the elevator with a pair of sunglasses, a beanie and a quiet sigh. Just as the doors were about to close, a taller raven holding a cup of coffee, slipped in.
“Ohayo.” He said to the short vocalist.
“Aoi-kun.” Ruki nodded in return. “Did you hear from Kai?”
“Yeah. He should be in the practice room by now, since he woke me up three hours ago, that bastard.” Ruki smirked.
“Oh c’mon, you knew that we have to meet up with them at this time anyway.”
“Yeah, but still.” Aoi wasn’t providing a solid argument, so Ruki just rolled his eyes.
“Shut up, baby.” He muttered as the doors slid open and they stepped out.
“You shut up, shrimp.” Ruki punched the taller male on the arm.
They noticed two people near the door of the practice room. The first was a large burly man standing right across the door. The second was Kai, apparently trying to listen in on what is going on inside. He waved at his two band mates as they greeted the security guard.
“Kai, what are you doing?” Ruki asked raising an eyebrow. Kai made a gesture to silence him.
“Listen.” He said. Aoi and Ruki leaned in and sure enough, they heard voices drifting from inside the room.
“Why do you always attempt a solo with this song, Charlie?” Came the annoyed voice of the bandleader.
“Because my bass kicks ass in this song.” His smug voice rang out. A giggle sounded out, quickly silenced after a short second.
“Shut up asshole. Now what song should we do next? Your call, Lou.”
“Urrrrmmmm…” There was a moment of silence, accented by the light sound of a quiet tap on the drums. “How about Death of a Salesman?” [2]
“Too long.” Charlie interjected.
“Ohayo.” Reita’s voice startled the trio crouched at the door. He looked over at Ruki. “Chibi-kun.”
“Fuck you.” Ruki flipped him the bird and Reita chuckled.
“Why are you guys crouched out here instead of being in there?”
“Because we’re listening to the other band warm up.” Kai whispered. “Now shut up!” Reita rolled his eyes and placed his hand on the knob. He pushed the door opened and greeted the other band members.
“Ohayo gozaimasu, Gazett-o!” Sari exclaimed happily.
“We knew you guys were eavesdropping.” Benjamin smirked, and Ruki pointed at Kai.
“He made me do it.”
“I didn’t make you do anything!”
“It’s fine,” Sari said gently. “Now that everyone is- wait, where’s Uruha-san?”
Reita answered. “I just spoke to him a few minutes ago and he said that he was going to be here in fifteen.” He paused. “He’ll be here in thirty. The man goes at his own pace.”
“Really? Kinda reminds me of someone I know.” Benjamin, Sari, and Charlie took a glance over at Louis, who was innocently drinking a bottle of water, not really paying any attention to the conversation. He stopped and looked at his band mates.
“What did I do?” He asked in English. Benjamin waved him off.
“It’s nothing.”
Louis narrowed his eyes in suspicion but decided to say nothing more.
“Why don’t you guys keep playing?” Kai urged. “I wanna hear more.” He smiled at Sari, and she smiled shyly back at him. Charlie clenched his jaw.
“O-okay.” She blushed, her heart racing. Benjamin smirked at his sister and she scowled at him. “What song…” She thought quietly. “Oh, right! How about Enter Sandman?”
“Hell ya, I haven’t played a good Metallica song in so long.” Charlie suddenly grinned. Benjamin nodded and he and Sari played the first few notes followed by Louis’ beats.
Aoi sat up with an excited gleam in his uncovered eyes, and mouthed out the words with Benjamin. Kai couldn’t tear his eyes away from Sari’s form. He was mesmerized by the body language that responded with every note she played. She seemed so innocent when she wasn’t playing, but when she plucked the first few notes of the song; she was a completely different person. Her body moved and rolled like one with the music; her face contorted instantaneously, as if she was giving and receiving pleasure within the same moment. He was so drawn in, he found himself mirroring the little gestures she made with her face.
She scrunched her nose; he did the same.
She bit her lip; he bit his.
She stuck her tongue out, and he did the same.
With every moment, something in his heart grew and before it could hit him; he has fallen for the guitarist.
“WHOO!” She catcalled as they finished up the last couple of notes. She threw up the rock sign and noticed Reita in the corner doing the same thing. They grinned at each other.
“That was amazing.” Came a voice from the doorway. Everyone looked over and saw Uruha leaning against the frame of the door.
“Finally!” Reita and Kai exclaimed.
“How long were you standing there?” Louis asked.
“Since the solo.” He grinned at Benjamin, and the younger male couldn’t help but blush lightly. It was Sari’s turn to smirk.
“Shut up.” He muttered. “Okay, now that everyone is here, we can now get to work.”
++++++
14:23:09
(2:23 P.M.)
Sari and Kai made their way to the kitchen on a separate floor - well Kai led the way and Sari shuffled happily behind him. It had been an intense three hours, trying to debate which songs they should work on first; trying to get the feel from the different lyrics. Everyone was starting to get a headache and so both Kai and Sari volunteered to make something for everyone to eat at the same time. So, after a short game of Rock, Paper, Scissors, and a series of ties, they decided to go together (much to the hidden disapproval of a blond bassist).
Kai showed her the different rooms where many other bands practiced and recorded many of their singles and albums, and also telling her quite a few memories of his first couple of days in the building.
“And this is our humble little kitchen.” He concluded on the mini tour. Sari smiled and his heart melted.
“Thank you for the lovely tour.” She said gently. She made a beeline for the refrigerator. “How about Onigiri?” She suggested.
“Sure, why not?” He agreed. They grabbed the ingredients for Katsuobushi-Onigiri [3]. They spent the next twenty minutes molding and creating the rice balls, until the dishes were ready to be served. In between preparation time, Kai and Sari joked around and had little awkward but gentle moments. There was a moment where Kai was dangerously close to kissing her on the cheek, but it never happened.
“Well then!” The younger woman clapped her hands together and Kai placed his own onto his hips.
“Time to feed those hungry mouths of ours.” He finished with a dimpled smile. Sari blushed and picked up a tray with the Onigiri.
“C’mon before they start a riot.” She joked and they left the kitchen, heading back to the room of their future single.
Notes:
[1] - Nikujaga is a home-cooked dish of meat, potatoes and onions in sweetened soy with vegetables.
[2] - Death of a Salesman is one of Shibuya’s songs.
[3] - Katsuobushi-Onigiri is a rice ball with Katsuobushi (dried and smoked skip-jack tuna) as the stuffing.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter(s): 3/???
Author: minishimi
Band(s): GazettE
Genre: AU/Romance/Drama/Humor/Angst
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Heavy language, Implied sexuality
Pairing/Characters: AoixOCxRuki (one-sided), KaixOCxOC (one-sided), UruhaxOC. More might be added later
Disclaimer: They own themselves...that's about it.
Synopsis: GazettE has agreed to do a major collaboration album with a equally popular band, Shibuya. As time progresses, feelings unfold and one falls for the other. Will this project turn out to be a major success? Or will this be the end of both bands and the members?
Comments: Another update! *whee!*
Chapter 3
“I think the fans are gonna get a kick out of this.” Uruha said as he sat back in his chair in the practice room.
“It’s a nice change and plus it will bring even more fans together.” Kai nodded, lightly tapping a few beats on his drums.
“Plus, that Sari-san is cute.” Reita added. Ruki gave him an odd look.
“What the hell does that have to do with our project?”
“It doesn’t have to do with anything. She’s cute, that’s all.”
“I’m seriously wondering how is she able to manage being in a band with only guys.” Aoi said, tuning his guitar. “There are some days where I can’t stand it myself.”
“Well then I guess there’s something you’re not telling us.” Reita smirked and the guitarist punched him in the arm.
“Shut up, asshole.”
“Make me, Yama-chan!”
“Guys! Let’s get back on topic, shall we?” Kai interrupted, annoyed. The two men grunted in response and the drummer shook his head.
“Anyways, I’ve gotten a couple songs down, that I came up with during our tour.” Ruki looked over his papers and showed it to his band mates. “It should be a good start, don’t you think?”
“Yeah. I’m sure they have gotten a couple down as well, but we’ll see next week.” Kai nodded, looking over the papers.
“But how is it going to work out?” Uruha asked.
“What are you talking about? We were just at the meeting last week.” Ruki frowned lightly. “They explained everything.”
“No, no, I mean, if we were to go on a tour? How do you think that will work out?”
The group was quiet for a moment.
“We are going to be meeting up with them in a few days, we’ll find out then.” Kai concluded.
“Alrighty then-” Aoi got up, stretching. “I gotta go to the bathroom for a sec.”
“And what?” Reita began, a small smirk forming on his face. “Powder your nose?” At this, the raven flicked the younger male in the forehead and he received a slap on the leg in return. Within a split second, the two were engaged in a slapping battle.
“GUYS!” Kai yelled at them. When they didn’t listen, he threw his drumsticks at the feuding pair. It took three minutes of Uruha pulling them apart and another two to calm them down. Ruki just sniggered at the insults the bassist and guitarist threw at each other. Kai sighed.
This was going to be a long project.
++++++
One Week Ago…
“I can’t wait to taste your mom’s Nikujaga, man!” [1] Louis patted his belly in the backseat of the car. The twins called and spoke to their parents about their stay in the city and their mother convinced Red to let the band stay over at their place for the rest of the time.
“Yeah? It’s nothing compared to their dad’s massive rice balls!” Charlie grinned. “Man, his balls are so good!”
The twins laughed at the implied innuendo and Red shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose in the front seat. The driver shook his head with a laugh as he turned the corner and drove down a quiet neighborhood in a district not too far from the city. It pulled into the driveway of a moderately sized home with a low bamboo fence and a small but beautiful yard.
The all got out and stepped onto the stone pathway to the door. They were barely five feet away when they heard a booming bark, quickly followed by a smaller bark and a scramble of feet.
“Whoa, hold on there. Let me open the door first.” Came a strong female voice from behind the door. There was a light ‘click!’ of the lock and the door swung inward. Before the group on the doorstep could register what happened, Benjamin was already on the ground with a large, pure white, wolf-like dog on top of him, licking every inch of his laughing face.
“Gah! Good to see you see you too, Yuu.” He tried to get out.
“Chiquita!” Sari squealed as a very small dog ran into her arms and she nuzzled the happy pup. She looked up and smiled at the older version of herself, who was leaning against the doorway with an amused smile adorning her kind, motherly features. “Hey, mom.” She smiled in English. “How did Chiqi end up here?”
The woman gave her daughter a kiss on the cheek. “Your father was in New York for a business trip and he decided to bring her here, just in case you guys made the choice of visiting us here.” She smiled over at the three remaining men that were fortunate enough not to get tackled by the large dog.
“It’s good to see you again, Claire.” Red smiled giving her a hug.
“I see you have been taking good care of these kids.” She responded in clear English. “It’s good seeing you too.”
“Mrs. T!” Charlie said with a goofy grin, opening his arms wide for a hug. “You’re looking more gorgeous by the day.” The laughing woman pulled him into a big hug. “Why, if only you weren’t married…”
There was an immediate growl, coming from the doorway and everyone looked to see a much older, and mature version of Benjamin.
“Hey dad.” Benjamin stood up, finally able to wrestle the dog off from him.
“Hey, Li.” He ruffled his son’s hair, kissed his twin daughter on the forehead, and placed a possessive hold on his wife.
“What’s happening, Mr. T!” Charlie gave a playful grin. “You know I was just kidding.”
Michael gave him a sharp, but playful glare. He greeted the other two males and they all entered the home.
“So, how was your tour in Europe?” Claire asked as they settled in the cozy living room.
“Really fun.” Sari smiled.
“Awesome!” Benjamin and Charlie chimed excitedly.
“Crazy. Can’t wait to go back.” Louis nodded.
“So, what is your business in Tokyo?” Michael asked, sitting beside his wife.
“Well, we’ve started on a collaboration project for the next album.” Red began.
“Already?” Claire was surprised. “I thought you would take a break.”
Her son shook his head while petting Yuu’s head on his lap. “Nah. We wanted to get things started as soon as possible. It’s a lot, I know, but if you really think about it, this project is actually going to take a while.”
“A few months presumably.” Sari nodded.
“Which band have you decided to work with?” Her mother reached for her tea.
“The GazettE.” Charlie responded. Claire and Michael were impressed.
“Really? Then the sound should be very interesting.” Michael said.
“Yeah but you can’t tell anyone.” Louis began. “We need time to prepare and to find the proper time to release the news to the public.”
“Don’t worry, your secret is safe with us.” Claire pretended to lock her lips with an invisible key to emphasize her point. Her daughter giggled.
“Good, now.” Louis Said settling back into his seat. “When are we going to get a bite of that delightful Nikujaga?”
Claire laughed. “It’s hot and ready just for you.”
++++++
A Week Later…
P.S. Company HQ
11:10:00 (11:10 A.M.)
“Dude!” Charlie exclaimed as he walked into the practice room on the third floor. “This place is awesome!”
“You’re acting like an eight-year-old at the amusement park for the first time.” Benjamin rolled his eyes walking in after the blond, carrying two guitar cases.
“I’m just glad Red has decided that we’re “adult” enough to come here by ourselves.” Louis sighed, placing his bag and one of Sari’s cases onto the couch, and taking out his drumsticks.
“Hah! I don’t think so.” Sari placed her other guitar case next to her brother’s. “He’s down stairs talking to their manager right now.”
“What?” Charlie said in annoyed disbelief.
“Son of a bitch.” Louis muttered.
“He could be just be making sure we’ll be alright.” Benjamin reassured.
“Or he thinks we’re like little kids.” Charlie answered bitterly.
“Dude.” Benjamin began with a tone of solid demand. “Don’t you remember before that live, two years back, Louis had a severe asthma attack, and Red wasn’t there to give him his medicine?”
Charlie was immediately silent. “Sorry man.” He said to the drummer. “I forgot.” Louis waved it off nonchalantly.
“No worries man.” His tone was mellow. “It was two years ago. Besides, Matt has my medicine and he’s always nearby.” He gestured towards the general direction of the doorway, indicating the presence of a large bodyguard in the hallway. “And, more than half of the time, I don’t even need it because my control has improved by a lot.” He grinned and Charlie rolled his eyes.
“Alright, alright, you don’t have to rub it in.” The blond put him into a headlock and the two males play wrestled for a minute.
“Ok-ay, I’m good to go.” Sari nodded as she took out her electric guitar and placed the strap onto her shoulder and plugged it into the amplifier. Louis made an immediate beeline for the drums and sat down on the swivel chair.
“Whoa, who ever sat here must be at least a good couple inches shorter than me.” He muttered, adjusting the seat. He tapped a few beats and stopped, clearly impressed. He let a low whistle. “Nice.”
“C’mon, people, let’s warm up.” Benjamin said, plugging his into another amplifier.
++++++
Ruki stepped into the elevator with a pair of sunglasses, a beanie and a quiet sigh. Just as the doors were about to close, a taller raven holding a cup of coffee, slipped in.
“Ohayo.” He said to the short vocalist.
“Aoi-kun.” Ruki nodded in return. “Did you hear from Kai?”
“Yeah. He should be in the practice room by now, since he woke me up three hours ago, that bastard.” Ruki smirked.
“Oh c’mon, you knew that we have to meet up with them at this time anyway.”
“Yeah, but still.” Aoi wasn’t providing a solid argument, so Ruki just rolled his eyes.
“Shut up, baby.” He muttered as the doors slid open and they stepped out.
“You shut up, shrimp.” Ruki punched the taller male on the arm.
They noticed two people near the door of the practice room. The first was a large burly man standing right across the door. The second was Kai, apparently trying to listen in on what is going on inside. He waved at his two band mates as they greeted the security guard.
“Kai, what are you doing?” Ruki asked raising an eyebrow. Kai made a gesture to silence him.
“Listen.” He said. Aoi and Ruki leaned in and sure enough, they heard voices drifting from inside the room.
“Why do you always attempt a solo with this song, Charlie?” Came the annoyed voice of the bandleader.
“Because my bass kicks ass in this song.” His smug voice rang out. A giggle sounded out, quickly silenced after a short second.
“Shut up asshole. Now what song should we do next? Your call, Lou.”
“Urrrrmmmm…” There was a moment of silence, accented by the light sound of a quiet tap on the drums. “How about Death of a Salesman?” [2]
“Too long.” Charlie interjected.
“Ohayo.” Reita’s voice startled the trio crouched at the door. He looked over at Ruki. “Chibi-kun.”
“Fuck you.” Ruki flipped him the bird and Reita chuckled.
“Why are you guys crouched out here instead of being in there?”
“Because we’re listening to the other band warm up.” Kai whispered. “Now shut up!” Reita rolled his eyes and placed his hand on the knob. He pushed the door opened and greeted the other band members.
“Ohayo gozaimasu, Gazett-o!” Sari exclaimed happily.
“We knew you guys were eavesdropping.” Benjamin smirked, and Ruki pointed at Kai.
“He made me do it.”
“I didn’t make you do anything!”
“It’s fine,” Sari said gently. “Now that everyone is- wait, where’s Uruha-san?”
Reita answered. “I just spoke to him a few minutes ago and he said that he was going to be here in fifteen.” He paused. “He’ll be here in thirty. The man goes at his own pace.”
“Really? Kinda reminds me of someone I know.” Benjamin, Sari, and Charlie took a glance over at Louis, who was innocently drinking a bottle of water, not really paying any attention to the conversation. He stopped and looked at his band mates.
“What did I do?” He asked in English. Benjamin waved him off.
“It’s nothing.”
Louis narrowed his eyes in suspicion but decided to say nothing more.
“Why don’t you guys keep playing?” Kai urged. “I wanna hear more.” He smiled at Sari, and she smiled shyly back at him. Charlie clenched his jaw.
“O-okay.” She blushed, her heart racing. Benjamin smirked at his sister and she scowled at him. “What song…” She thought quietly. “Oh, right! How about Enter Sandman?”
“Hell ya, I haven’t played a good Metallica song in so long.” Charlie suddenly grinned. Benjamin nodded and he and Sari played the first few notes followed by Louis’ beats.
Aoi sat up with an excited gleam in his uncovered eyes, and mouthed out the words with Benjamin. Kai couldn’t tear his eyes away from Sari’s form. He was mesmerized by the body language that responded with every note she played. She seemed so innocent when she wasn’t playing, but when she plucked the first few notes of the song; she was a completely different person. Her body moved and rolled like one with the music; her face contorted instantaneously, as if she was giving and receiving pleasure within the same moment. He was so drawn in, he found himself mirroring the little gestures she made with her face.
She scrunched her nose; he did the same.
She bit her lip; he bit his.
She stuck her tongue out, and he did the same.
With every moment, something in his heart grew and before it could hit him; he has fallen for the guitarist.
“WHOO!” She catcalled as they finished up the last couple of notes. She threw up the rock sign and noticed Reita in the corner doing the same thing. They grinned at each other.
“That was amazing.” Came a voice from the doorway. Everyone looked over and saw Uruha leaning against the frame of the door.
“Finally!” Reita and Kai exclaimed.
“How long were you standing there?” Louis asked.
“Since the solo.” He grinned at Benjamin, and the younger male couldn’t help but blush lightly. It was Sari’s turn to smirk.
“Shut up.” He muttered. “Okay, now that everyone is here, we can now get to work.”
++++++
14:23:09
(2:23 P.M.)
Sari and Kai made their way to the kitchen on a separate floor - well Kai led the way and Sari shuffled happily behind him. It had been an intense three hours, trying to debate which songs they should work on first; trying to get the feel from the different lyrics. Everyone was starting to get a headache and so both Kai and Sari volunteered to make something for everyone to eat at the same time. So, after a short game of Rock, Paper, Scissors, and a series of ties, they decided to go together (much to the hidden disapproval of a blond bassist).
Kai showed her the different rooms where many other bands practiced and recorded many of their singles and albums, and also telling her quite a few memories of his first couple of days in the building.
“And this is our humble little kitchen.” He concluded on the mini tour. Sari smiled and his heart melted.
“Thank you for the lovely tour.” She said gently. She made a beeline for the refrigerator. “How about Onigiri?” She suggested.
“Sure, why not?” He agreed. They grabbed the ingredients for Katsuobushi-Onigiri [3]. They spent the next twenty minutes molding and creating the rice balls, until the dishes were ready to be served. In between preparation time, Kai and Sari joked around and had little awkward but gentle moments. There was a moment where Kai was dangerously close to kissing her on the cheek, but it never happened.
“Well then!” The younger woman clapped her hands together and Kai placed his own onto his hips.
“Time to feed those hungry mouths of ours.” He finished with a dimpled smile. Sari blushed and picked up a tray with the Onigiri.
“C’mon before they start a riot.” She joked and they left the kitchen, heading back to the room of their future single.
Notes:
[1] - Nikujaga is a home-cooked dish of meat, potatoes and onions in sweetened soy with vegetables.
[2] - Death of a Salesman is one of Shibuya’s songs.
[3] - Katsuobushi-Onigiri is a rice ball with Katsuobushi (dried and smoked skip-jack tuna) as the stuffing.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2